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Three
Congregational Churches
by
Don Malcarne
Town Historian
Many people have wondered why the town of Essex, with a relatively
small population, has three Congregational Churches. While a complete
investigation into this question could consume a thesis, I will
try to define some basic reasons, which essentially have to do with
the rather unique growth pattern of Essex, both economically and
spiritually. This article is not designed to be a history of any
of these churches, rather offering a few reasons for their formation.
The
real acknowledgment that Potapoug Quarter (Essex, Deep River, part
of Chester) was a 'town" occurred in May, 1722, when the Colonial
Assembly allowed the formation of the 2nd Ecclesiastical Society.
Prior to this, residents (the population was quite small) were required
to go to church in what is today Old Saybrook (the 1st Ecclesiastical
Society). Thus was founded the Centerbrook Congregational Church,
and a new church edifice was assembled by 1725. The location in
Center Saybrook (Centerbrook) signified this area as the center
of life in Potapoug Quarter. The building was located about 70'
east of the current church building and with repairs, lasted until
the last decade of the 18th century. Because this "mother"
church had grown demographically and the fact that this original
building was in bad repair, it was decided to erect a new structure.
This resulted in the current structure, completed in 1792, making
it today one of the oldest extant churches in Middlesex County.
It originally faced west, but was turned 90 degrees in 1839, when
the belfry section was reconfigured. In addition, a meeting house
(the foundation can still be seen) was constructed across the street
in 1834. The rise of the Baptist, Episcopal and Methodist denominations
siphoned off some parishioners, but the Centerbrook Church remained
relatively dominant, thanks to certain bequests, especially one
from Ebenezer Hayden. This allowed this church to become a very
important mortgage holder in the lower valley. Commencing in 1817,
mortgages helped the Centerbrook Church become more than just a
spiritual force in the community. Although formal banking had arrived
in Essex by 1850, this church was in the mortgage business until
after 1950.
Economically
and socially, the center of town shifted to Essex Village after
the Revolutionary War and with the rapid growth of ship building,
this borough replaced Centerbrook in affluence and influence. The
mere population growth in Essex Village may have been reason enough
to form a new Congregational Church, as was done on November 28,
1851, but another factor may also have been a cause. When a study
is made of the list of the 52 people who were the initial members
of this congregation, it shows that 36 were women and that 20 were
members of the Pratt family. Every one of the Pratts were directly
involved in farming (not financing or business). In addition, the
featured member of this new group was Amelia Prudence Champlin,
the wife of the renowned Henry Champlin (ship builder, a founder
of the Essex Savings Bank, etc.), who was almost fanatically religious.
Could it be that this new group felt that the "mother"
church had become too commercial, and had strayed from the Puritan
ethic? This is a very definite possibility. Incidentally, Captain
Champlin remained a member of the Centerbrook Church, not joining
the new Essex organization until the year of his death, 1859. Whatever
the case, this new Essex Church erected a building in 1852 and has
remained a viable force in town since that time.
The
demise of ship building and the rise of the ivory and piano action
industry in what is now Ivoryton resulted in another shift in the
economic and social fortunes of our town. From the Civil War period
to World War II, Ivoryton was the "center" of town, both
in wealth and influence. The Comstock, Cheney & Co. literally
dominated Essex, and the Ivoryton section was paying up to two-thirds
of the taxes raised in Essex. The emerging importance of this company
was certainly one reason for the formation of a Congregational Church
in that village. Comstock Chapel was constructed in 1887/1888 and
turned over to Gilbert Buckingham, Theodore Rose and Egbert Norton,
Trustees of the Centerbrook Congregational Church, by Harriet Comstock,
a daughter of Samuel M. Comstock, the founder of Comstock, Cheney
& Co. The chapel was originally a "mission" of the
Centerbrook Church, but separated itself in 1898. It has been enlarged
since, starting in 1905/1906. In the original deeding of this building,
Harriet maintained veto power over any physical changes in the chapel.
While the company did not directly involve itself in spiritual activities
of either the village or factory employees, the fact that the idea
of welfare capitalism was a prominent late 19th century feature
of Comstock, Cheney & Co. certainly encouraged the formation
of places that would benefit employees and their families.
Consequently,
the three Congregational Churches in town had different reasons
for their formation. Centerbrook signified the "official"
formation of our town at a time when the Puritan influence was paramount.
Essex reflected the growth of that village as a commercial and population
center and may have even been started partially as a result of the
Centerbrook Church breaking from its Puritan roots and becoming
too commercial. Ivoryton was the most recent congregational church
to be formed and is a "child" of the Industrial Revolution,
in a manner of speaking. The shift of affluence to Ivoryton corresponded
with the rather spectacular growth of home entertainment in the
United States, centered around pianos and organs. This third move
in the "center" of town apparently required another congregational
church. Therefore, it is hoped that this brief article gives an
idea why we have the three churches. The same theories can be applied
to the libraries, Post Offices and Episcopal Churches, to a certain
extent.
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